Introduction - This topic is a summary of some of the technical terms used in printing and to describe the paper stocks.

Bleed - a process of printing artwork to the edge of the paper. Most laser and ink-jet printers have a non-print margin around all four edges of at least 1/4". Some ink-jet printers have a larger non-print margin along the bottom edge.

Thermography - a process of printing with wet ink followed by layering with a compound that is melted into the ink forming a "raised ink" feel.

Engraving - a process which requires the etching of a copper plate followed by the use of the plate during printing. It produces an extremely fine print quality which is especially suited to some lettering style which have hollow fonts. Very expensive! Often the printer will include the copper plate as a keepsake. The plate is a reverse so don't expect to "frame" it.

Paper Weight - This is measure of how much the paper weighs based on a quantity of sheets. Don't worry about this. Simply, 20# (pound) paper is your ordinary copier paper. 24# paper is slightly heavier (thicker) and is normally used for letters or other correspondence. 30# to 50# is excellent for business cards. Look for invitation paper stock in the 30# to 80# range.

Paper Grain - All paper has grain. Long grain paper has the grain running the length while short grain paper has the grain running the width. Why is this important? If you need to fold the paper, you MUST fold it with the grain otherwise you will get a ragged fold. You can buy most paper with either long or short grain.

Paper Surface - Paper surfaces range from very smooth to heavily textured. Most copier paper is moderately smooth. This is also true for most laser paper. But some laser paper is coated to produce a very fine surface which is especially suitable for artwork. Many of these papers are blue marked on one side. These papers are used in the printing industry for camera-ready artwork in preparation for shooting. If you have an ink-jet printer, you may recall that it was probably supplied with a variety of special paper stocks. This is because ink-jet printers need a very special surface so that the ink dries before the next paper falls on top to prevent smearing. In addition, the surfaces produce a high intensity color. Ink-jet paper is more expensive than regular paper. (If you are not printing graphics in color but are relying on the pre-printed artwork on a designer paper, this is less of a problem.)

Paper Brightness - Papers are available in degrees of whiteness. Very white paper is more expensive than ordinary paper.

Acid Free - You can buy acid free paper which has the advantage of not yellowing with age. Some commercial printers supply acid-free invitation paper since it is often a keepsake. Don't look for this with print your own papers.

Flat Printed - means that the artwork or designs on the paper are printed on flat paper. Contrast this is embossed papers.

Embossed (and/or Debossed) - means that the surface of the paper is raised or lowered. The embossing may be a beautiful rose or something as simple as a frame. The paper can be both embossed (say a raised frame) along with debossing (depressed frame). The classic invitation is called a "single panel embossed baronial". Some papers are available both embossed and with flat printing or color tones. The embossing that is done on computer ready paper is often less intense than that done for the commercial papers used in printing presses.

Die-Cut - Label sheets with many labels on the sheet include a paper layer which is "die-cut" for each label and held in position with a "carrier" sheet. You peel off the labels as you use them.

Microperforated - Just as you can buy label sheets filled with individual labels, you can buy card stock which is precut with fine perforations that allow you to fold and separate each card after printing. For example, you can find business card stock with 10 cards on sheet.

Pre-creased - a paper that has a crease for folding. The advantage is that you do not have to worry about paper grain.

1-UP, 2-UP, 4-UP - Some paper vendors use these terms to describe the number of papers that you get from the sheet after printing. As noted above, you will get 10 business cards from a 10-UP sheet. Invitations are available 1-UP and 2-UP. 1-UP invitations means one invitation per sheet with a fold. 2-UP means two invitations per sheet that separate (microperforated) to produce two non-folding invitations. A 2-UP accessory card means that you get two respond cards per sheet. After you separate them, each folds. A 4-UP accessory card means you get four non-folding accessory cards.

Unusual Sizes - Most of the computer ready invitation and accessory card stock is a full sheet of 8-1/2 inch by 11 inch paper that either halves or quarters. Paper Direct (a paper vendor) offers several invitation styles that have an additional microperforation around the outer edge so that after you print and remove the outer perforation, your invitation will be smaller.